Graham

Here's the latest scans from the new July 2011 issue of Dengeki Hobby magazine. Grahm

Yes it is. There really was a lot of love put into this toy. Graham

It seems to be an entierly new mold. I don't think converting it back to a VF-25 would be easy. Graham Yes it is. I just picked up the new Dengeki Hobby magazine and there are 2 pages of pics on the DX YF-29. The toy is shown with the pilot out of the cockpit. Will scan and post the pics on Saturday, no time before then. Graham

Just picked up the new July 2011 issue of Dengeki Hobby magazine, this month's mecha focus is on Destroids, specifically a modified Defender called 'Defender-S' with twin gattling guns (1 per arm) instead of the normal quad cannons. The Defender-S is also fitted with 4 x DYRL type UMM-7 micro-missile pods (two per arm, mounted one above and one below the gattling). There is also a green and white VF-19C (basically a stock repainted VF-19A/YF-19 kit). Unfortunately no time to scan in the article until the weekend. Graham

Wrong thread for this question. Graham

I'd also love them, I think they look great in fighter mode. However, I've been told we probably won't get them, as there are issues with integrating them on both the leg and shoulders. Graham

The lower leg is going to be the key. Keeping it chunky as per the line art, but still allowing a slim profile in fighter mode will be very tricky. Graham Yeah, Kawamori did employ a lot of anime magic with the Macross 7 battroids, making them far chunkier than is feasible to transform into such slim fighter modes. Graham

Not sure yet, the preliminery CAD drawings I've been lucky enough to be shown are only partial and don't show the legs yet. I hope they can achieve a chunky battroid, but keep a skinny fighter, but that may be asking too much of even Yamato's genius designers. Graham

Cough........off topic........cough! Graham

The VF-19Kai's spine seems very sturdy to me and the parts fitting is infinitely superior to the YF-19. First I've heard of any parts cracking on the YF-19's spine!!!!????? Did I miss something? Graham

Latest pics from the new July issue of Hobby Japan magazine just out today. First look at the new pilot sculpt. Poseability looks good on this toy. Graham

No, with Fire Valkyrie and Fire Bomber! Graham Still unknown/undecided. The toy is only in the prelimineray CAD stage, there's a lot of work still to do. Graham

Confirmed VF-17 should be matte finish (the powers that be could still change their mind later), but at the moment the word is matte. Graham

Yes, Basara can stay in the seat for the whole transformation, there is no need to remove him. Yes, the cockpit is very secure in battroid mode. Even with the top hatch open so you can see Basara, I'm not sure there is actually enough room to shake him out. Graham

As mentioned previously, the gloss finish is a property of the inside surface treatment of the mold and this cannot be changed, so yes, the VF-19/S/F/P will all be gloss. Graham

We see twin fold boosters being used by RVF-171s in Mac Frontier. Either extended range or using one to go and one to come back makes sense (assuming they are still single use). Graham

AFAIK, the 19 Kai was made gloss, cus Kawamori told them it should be gloss. Graham

Love this article from The Daily Mash: 45lb baby leads to Schwarzenegger divorce My favorite part: "The tower of knuckles will part from his wife Maria Shriver, who in turn will begin the slow surgical process of reversing all the work she has had done to make her look like her husband." Gotta say, he has spectacularly bad taste in women (both the wife and mistress). Graham

Very cool, if I knew how to play guitar, I'd be all over that. Graham

And just to clarify, I have never and would never throw away any 1/48s. What I did throw away are all my old v1 1/60 VF-1 toys and the old Mac Plus 1/72 toys. My 1/48s, while no longer on display are all safe in storage. Graham The joint being too right, possibly causing people to pull too hard? Graham

As long as you don't pull too hard, and remember to support the area, I don't think this will be a problem. And if the area can be unscrewed, it may be fixable. Graham

I think when Renato says the manin guy, he may be refering to either the CEO (my friend), or the head of macross product development, not an actual designer per se. Graham

Arghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! Bangs head against wall. No, No, No, they couldn't. Every single part of the VF-17 is different to the VF-171 (except the gunpod). You cannot use a common mold. This irks me no end, the same as people who say you can make a YF-19 into a VF-19F/S/P/Kai just by repainting it and changing a few bits. NO YOU CAN'T they are almost 100% different. Rant off. Graham

Transformed mine through 10 cycles of fighter to Gerwalk, through battroid and back again so far and no breakage, no cracks and no stress marks. I checked carefully last night. Just found some yellow paint wearing off on the chest. For the Gerwalk hip joint, I stabilise it with my thumb and forefinger of my left hand and then gently pull it from click to click by grasping and pulling in a slow and controlled manner with the thumb and forefinger of my right hand. No problems so far. Graham

No, it is not a fingerprint magnet. No, it does not feel greasy. No, it does not show micro fine fine swirly scratches. Yes, future variants will also be glossy, as you are correct, it is a product of the surface texture of the mold. Graham